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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Pumpkin Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

It's fall and everywhere u go, there will be pumpkins everywhere! From the Jac-o-lanterns, cinderella pumpkins, odd ornamental ones that just reminds me of miniature Pokemons and also pies, cookies and The pumpkin.spice.lattes.

To be honest, i never had pumpkin untill i step to the United States. Growing up in Singapore, there's no such thing as autumn, and pumpkins are limited to those small green squashes that can usually be found behind one of the racks in the vegetable aisle or just packaged pumpkin seeds.

After being here for alost 3 years, i still wonder why my fellow Americans go crazy about this orange colored pot bellied berry. The fruit is rather bland and mildy sweet, despite its strong hue that reminiscent of a sweet potato. The pumpkin to me taste no different than a regular winter squash.

But why is this dear o' pumpkin so alluring?!

Perhaps its voluptuous curves are simply captivating...

This thing is extremely mysterious to me. I grew sweet pumpkins once in Denver and they florished abundantly. But unfortunately, they died in my fridge because i just simply didn't knew what the heck am i to do with them.
If only i knew then that this adorable fruit is absolutely versatile!

So i went shopping the other day and the Canned Pumpkin puree was on sale for 99cents. Why not right?

So pumpkin spice is all the rave right now, and there's only one thing that comes in my mind, and that is...CAKE.

But my first two encounter with pumpkin spice cake is sadly dissapointing. Twice, they came bland and dense. Why?! If we paid $3 for each slice from a boutique bakery, there should be standards. Yes, the pumpkin pureed is thick and might have caused the cake to be heavier and compact. But to me, that's no excuse, or maybe im just sad i couldnt enjoy my pumpkin cake properly.

Now this cake is a combination of two classics, the pumpkin spice cake and the red velvet. I noticed there's only 2 recipes that can be found online yet both did not include vinegar. The vinegar and baking soda in a red velvet cake is what makes it soft, light and velvety yet still firm enough hold a frosting without caving in.

The cake is best in room temp, however if the day gets a little sunny, do place it the in the fridge if uneaten to prevent the frosting getting way too soft. With that i would highly recommend thawing it out fot at least 15 mins to give the frosting some time to soften and get back to its slightly whippy consistency.

Overall, i'm truly satisfied with this recipe, it's lighter than the usual pumpkin cake i had yet still maintain its cakey velvety texture. You know it is a good cake when you can effortlessly squeeze the sides and it would bounce back to its original shape without having it fall apart immediately.

And many asked if i sculpted the lil pumpkins topper. Well yes i did, they are made of fondant. They are a joy to make and super kawaii! Tip: To make those delicate twirly veins, roll a super tiny piece of green fondant and wrap it around a toothpick till its halfway dry. With a lot of care, slide them when they slightly harden n attach it to ur main pumpkin body with a slight wet brush and pressure.

Now here's your recipe! Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,
The Runaway Wallpaper Flower

Pumpkin Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (Yield 2 and half dozen cupcakes)Dry Ingredients:2 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour1/2 tsp of salt2 tsp of baking soda1 tsp of baking powder1 tbsp of cocoa powder1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon1/4 tsp of allspiceWet Ingredients:1 cup of vegetable oil1 cup of buttermilk, room temp4 eggs, room temp1 and 1/4 cup of brown sugar1 cup of white granulated sugar2 tsp of vanilla paste (or extract)1 tbsp of white distilled vinegarDirections:1) Preheat oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners.2) In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and whisk till combined. Set aside for later.
3) In another large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and mix it with a paddle attachment till well combined. If oil seems to seperate, mix a little longer.4) Pour the dry ingredients in two batches, only mixing till it is combine.Do not overmix the batter or the cake will be tough and rubbery. 5) Pour the batter 2/3 in each cupcake cups. 6) Bake it in 350°F for 20 mins or till it springs back when touch.
7) Cool completely!

For Frosting:2 sticks of softenbutter80z cream cheese, soften5 cups of confectionary sugar2 and 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste1tsp of ground cinnamon3 tbsp of half and half (more or less if necessary)Directions:1) In a stand mixer (or a large bowl), cream the butter and cream cheese for approximately 5 minutes untill it is very light.2) Pour in your confectionery sugar a cup at a time and gradually mix it.3) Add in the half and half to loosen the frosting slightly.4) Add in your vanilla and cinnamon.5) Continue mixing your frosting at medium to high speed for 15 minutes untill it gets into a nice whip consistency. Add more or less sugar or half and half if necessary. 6) Frost your cupcakes when they are completely cooled and decorate them as you wish.

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About Me

Hi everybody! My name is Anise Salazar and I'm a stay home mom. Besides changing diapers and making hubby a sandwich, I'm in love with food and crafts. From creating, replicating and experimenting recipes and other diy projects, join me in my journey to baking and crafty heaven!